Current student Laura Mogannam shared the following about being an Intern at the MIT D-Lab …
What did you do as an intern at this organization?
The project I was involved in at MIT D-Lab was working to disseminate clay pot coolers used for vegetable preservation in Mali. As a Monitoring and Evaluation Intern, I was responsible for studying the data from surveys conducted after the clay pot cooler training workshops. Day-to-day I analyzed the survey responses, designed infographics, and wrote reports to highlight the findings.
How did you find this internship?
Professor Daniele Lantagne from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department told me about MIT D-Lab as she knew its projects aligned with my interests in user-centered design. I found my supervisor’s contact information on the MIT D-Lab website and reached out to him about my interest in the project via email.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
I enjoyed that there was a strong creative component to my internship even though it was data analysis based. Being able to design an infographic and have creative freedom over various components in the report were the most exciting parts for me.
What did you find challenging?
The most challenging part of this internship was gaining the confidence to share my opinions on how to improve the project. My supervisor always valued my thoughts, however, feelings of imposter syndrome kept me from sharing them at the start. As my understanding of the project grew, so did my ability to express my ideas.
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
To make the most of an internship like mine, it is important to always ask questions. I jumped into a project that has been active for years, so it was critical to have an understanding of the whole project to do my best work.
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